


Blush in the Shadows (MC x Kiyohiro) (one shot)

by missnekosan



Series: Samurai Love Ballad Party (SLBP) One Shots [1]
Category: SLBP - Fandom, Samurai Love Ballad: PARTY, 天下統一恋の乱 | Sakura Amidst Chaos | Samurai Love Ballad (Visual Novel), 天下統一恋の乱 | Tenka Touitsu Koi no Ran (Visual Novel)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkward Crush, Awkward Romance, Awkwardness, Blush - Freeform, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hidden Feelings, One Shot, Oneshot, Oneshot fic, Romace, Romance, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Slow Romance, Sweet, Voltage Inc, date, slbp, slbp kiyohiro, slbp voltage, special feelings, sweet development, sweet romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-12-01 23:30:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20934821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missnekosan/pseuds/missnekosan
Summary: A short fluff for our silent and serious ninja Kiyohiro~





	Blush in the Shadows (MC x Kiyohiro) (one shot)

**Author's Note:**

> Writer’s note: I haven’t done some writing for a while because of some other things…(tho I think 75% of it are due to my TOO MUCH playing of slbp and love365 XD..yeah this is bad…(T▽T) ) Anyway, I am glad now that I did! Ohmy~ the feeling when I finally able to write all these stuffs/fantasies that is playing nonstop inside my head, be able to just write it all and finally put it in my blog 乁༼☯‿☯✿༽ㄏ is just pure bliss..! I feel somewhat accomplished too (`•ω•´๑)✧✧ Omyy..I really do like to write..(˶◕‿◕˶✿) I hope to improve more and write more~ (tho, I have to admit, Yasumasa’s fic is taking me longer to write, because Kiyohiro and some other NPC characters too keep on popping in my head, vying for my attention to write theirs as well…gosh this would be a problem especially that my English grammar isn’t that great.. oh well.. hahah XD) Well, I do hope am able to grasp Kiyohiro’s personality here..(*・`v・) He’s one of my favorite NPC too! My goshh, ahh..just thinking him gives me happiness hahaha~

Quiet.

That’s all the word I can think of, the only word I could come up with, his very definition, the one that suits him, defines him best, the very word that always seems to appear first thing in my mind whenever I see him.

He doesn’t talk that much unless necessary. Doesn’t even show the slightest faint of expression. Never did I chance upon him laughing nor even a smile showed up on his face. Always and impressively deadpan, no hint of anything..eyes always vacant, like he’s thoughts are in the other world. He’s like a mystery to me. A puzzle I don’t know how to put together.

He’s someone that sometimes, I’m not sure how to keep going a conversation with or let alone, start a conversation. Because every time I try so, in the middle or almost like in just a few blink of our eyes, our talk always comes in halt before I know it.

Yet.

And yet, here I am standing. Eyes, unconsciously, fixated on the man who barely speaks (well, at least he greets me in the hallways) as he passes by in the veranda where I am out in the warm sunshine hanging the laundry. My gaze, so strong and long, eyes burning holes in the back of his lean but slightly wide muscular body. I stand here basking in the warmth of the morning sunshine and silence, eyes still following him until he disappears in the corner of the corridor. I snap back to reality once he’s nowhere to be seen.

“..!! “ (*slap sound) 

“Get to work..! MC, get to work!” I declare to myself, my face stings from the slap of my both hands.

I finish what I am doing right away and head to the kitchen to prepare our lunch.

***

Afternoon.

Almost all the food in the trays have gone now. Finished as they are with their food, I, with a couple of ladies, start to collect their meal trays, stacking them all neatly on our arms. Then after removing all of the trays, we serve them hot tea and leave them again in the main hall. I can hear the loud chit-chats of the retainers as I close gently the sliding doors behind them.

As I am about to stand from the spot where I am kneeling, I notice Kiyohiro clad in his usual black hakama striding in light, soundless steps towards me.

“Oh..! Kiyohiro?” I say with a little start in front of him, still kneeling.

His face unreadable. As always, he is quiet, not talking or anything. Just staring at me.

Finally on my feet, I talk to him. I look at him in the eyes desperately trying to hide the unusual nervousness creeping in me– tho my fingers betray me, fiddling the edges of my kimono. For some reason, I feel shy in front of him, especially when he looks at me in the eye like that.

“Kiyohiro, where have you been? I didn’t see you inside since earlier. Did you have lunch already?” I ask, trying to sound like my usual self.

“No. I still haven’t, miss.” A laconic response in his usual monotone voice that I now have become accustomed or more of like have taken a liking to.

“Hmm..?” I say tilting my head a bit in a surprise, wondering at his few words. “You mean you still haven’t eaten anything yet..?” I ask again just to be sure.

“Right, miss.” he says flatly to me. Expression still unchanging.

“Y-You m-mean that you are here…and just about to eat your lunch??” my voice a bit rising with disbelief. But we already served their meals..! DO we still have some leftovers..!!? I start to panic inside my head

As if sensing something, he’s the first to break the silence, this time, he’s now the one who’s asking first. “Yes, miss. Why?” he asks in a still calm manner.

“They are all already finished eating! We just collected their trays..!” I realize that my voice is a bit loud right now as I talk to him. Well, really, who would not? I mean, doesn’t he look around at his surroundings? It’s past lunch already..! And damn he’s a ninja mind you! How would he miss this kind of simple thing??!

As I dwell with my own thoughts with disbelief, for the first time, I noticed a very slight change from Kiyohiro’s facial expression. His eyes widened a bit, his lips opens partly as if to say something but nothing comes out of it as he decided not to continue it anymore. Perhaps in his mind, saying something would not change anything. So why bother? Then in a brief, very brief moment, his facial expression returns in its usual impassiveness.

“Is that so, miss. Then..” he slightly nods as if nothing, then starts to leave.

Huh..? HUHH??

“Wait..! Kiyohiro!” I call to him as I frantically try to catch up with his walking. And soon as I am just beside him, I grab his arm unconsciously, “You sure do walk fast.” I let out a small sigh.. “Umm.. if you want, I could make something for you but I’ll have to finish cleaning first. Umm..if you can wait..? Is that okay with you..?” I ask.

He looks at me with a faint of surprised in his eyes, then he gives me a side-look glance as if pondering a bit about it.

“…I– (*grumbles..)” As he is about to speak, the small growl on his stomach cuts him off, leaving him and I a bit lost for words at the moment. Then Kiyohiro, with a slight bashful look– that I chance upon to see– says“…then, thank you miss.”

Eyes still locked in his bashful state that is a rarity itself, I reply in a kind of a dreamy tone, “Um..Yeah. Okay..”

We just stand there, not moving until,

“…umm, miss?”

“Hm..?” I tilt my head, my mind in a trance at his handsomeness and at his current bashful state. Kiyohiro is really such a beautiful person. Especially, up-close.

He looks at me, then at his arm, “Um..your hand, miss.” he says. Soon I realize that I am still holding him.

“I-I am sso-so–rry..!” I let go of his arm quickly. A blush creeps on my face right away.

“I– umm.. please wait for me in the veranda. I-I’ll go and prepare your lunch.” Flustering and in a hurried manner, I stride the hallway– leaving him behind.

***

After cleaning everything swiftly, I hurry, preparing his late lunch. Fortunately, there is still some leftover rice and some soup. Still looking for something more for him to eat, I find some pickled plums in a jar and some eggs too. I start making him an onigiri filled with plums, reheat the leftover soup, and boil him two eggs. It takes me just a few minutes to complete preparing everything.

“Sigh. At least I managed to make something decent for him.” I say as I stride towards the veranda, feeling somewhat satisfied with the simple food I easily managed to make for him.

I arrive in the veranda and find Kiyohiro sitting quietly as ever while he stares at the garden– made even more beautiful by the little flower buds poking from its bushes that seems like it will bloom anytime soon. I sit beside him, and place the tray in beside him, the hot soup still steaming from its bowl.

“Here. Almost all the dishes from earlier were gone, so this is all I could manage to make. I hope this is okay with you. If not, I could make some more onigiri at least and filled it with something else aside pickled plums.”

“No. This is enough. Thank you, miss.” he says and starts to sip the hot soup. After that, without much change in expression, his fingers soon find the onigiri and take a silent, almost inaudible bite of the triangular thing. He quietly munches it in the most simple yet graceful manner that I began to feel embarrassed about how I just usually eat. He eats neatly. More neatly than me.

I stare at him, my eyes feasting with the silent beauty in front of me. I still can’t help but wonder what made me attracted to him aside that he’s beautiful. All I remember is that he’s just polite to me. He greets me in the hallways whenever we run into each other with ‘good day, miss’ and nothing more.

Yeah, come to think of it, nothing more than that really.

“Sigh.. I don’t understand myself.” I blurt out aloud without thinking.

“What you don’t understand, miss?” Kiyohiro asks as he put down his chopsticks on the tray. His food now gone. He finished everything, it seems.

“Oh..! haha nothing..” I laugh it off.

“I see..” he says.

Then an awkward silence fills us.

Oh no, this again.. What to talk? MC, what to talk about..? Come on. Ugh, think..!

As I try to make an effort to come up with a nice subject that would make our conversation continue longer, he suddenly rises, tray both in his hands. Reflexively, I also rise from my sitting.

“Um..where are you going with that?”

“I am finished. Thank you for the meal, miss. I will bring this to the kitchen by myself.” Kiyohiro states as he starts to walk towards the direction where the kitchen is.

“N–no, no.. Let me do it. It’s okay.”

I insist as I try to get the tray from him but in vain. For some reason, he is determined to do it. I feel that he is holding it with a bit of strength that if I still insisted to go my way, I’m afraid that I would just make an accident, making the empty dishes flying if I force to take it from him.

As if he figures what I am thinking, Kiyohiro with his usual side-look, suddenly speaks up, our hands both still holding the tray.

“…I..well, if you insist this too, …then thank you again miss. The meal was good.” he pushes the tray to me lightly and start to walk leaving me just like that.

Huhh? HUHH?? He left me again…just like that.

I feel the disappointment crushes me as I look at his back profile that is walking away from me.

Ohh, well… at least he said it was good.

He said it was good..wait, good..?!

A bit stunned there on the spot, the word ‘good’ keeps on repeating in my head. The fact that Kiyohiro said something more, is very rare that I find myself grinning alone. He rarely give me compliments whenever he eats my cooking. Even to others too. And he usually say things in a matter-of-fact way.

“He said it was good…good..” I murmur, a light fluffy and happy feeling spreading within me.

***

Late night it is.

Finally, I’m done with the dishes and all in the kitchen. The other ladies already have gone to bed by now after they are finished with their cleaning in the main hall. The usual dinner took a bit longer to end than we expected because of the sudden urge of the retainers to have a little merry drink before retiring to their chambers. From what I heard, it seems that something good happened today regarding about the ally thing with lord Nobunaga.

Before leaving the kitchen, I check again everything well, the cooking utensils and our stocks. When I am sure that everything is good, I stride my way to the veranda before going straight to my chamber. Quiet and breezy as it is, I just want to take a short rest outside first and admire the peace and beauty of the glittering night sky. But as I arrive in the veranda, there is someone who got there already and took my favorite spot. I stop for a moment and take a look at who it is. A figure comes into sight. Being illuminated by the moonlight, sitting there is a familiar figure clad in its usual dark hakama, its beautiful dark hair swept into a side ponytail fashion– funny, for I envy the color of his hair, dark and shiny, very black. More beautiful and glossy unlike mine.

Before I even get near to him, he notices my presence.

“Miss?” he says, like he is wondering why I am still out and awake.

Come to think of it, it is unusual for me to bump into him at this time of night.

Surprised and curious like him, I ask too while I sit just beside him. Just a palm-length distance between us.

“I didn’t expect to see someone here. Can’t sleep?” I say.

I look up at the night sky above us, eagerly waiting for him to respond.

“…I,”

The moment I hear it, his faint voice, I look at him right away with my full attention.

“Hm?” I say tilting my head, waiting to complete his sentence.

“…maybe.” he says almost like a whisper to my ear. “How about you miss, why are you still awake?”

“Me? I just finished my chores. Sometimes when I finish late, I come here to take a rest and admire the night sky. Whenever I do, I feel like all the fatigue of the day seems to go away. I feel calm and at peace.” I say, feeling shy all at the same time. The way he listens to me with attention as well and the way his eyes gaze at me as if in a ponder sends butterflies in my stomach. I try to collect myself.

“…I see.” he says.

Again. This again. Silence appears to be trying to consume us. Both of us not talking, just staring at the sky above us. Only the murmurs of the night insects give life to this hushed moment. As we sit here, wordless, I can’t help but steal glances at his side. The longer this moment– of us being alone– stays, the stronger my desire becomes, that I wish for this to just drag forever. I wonder if he at least feels something being with me, alone, even just a slight bit.

“…”

As I am about to steal another glance of him, I suddenly freeze. He is looking at my side, quietly he says, “Is there something wrong, miss?”

“!” 

“….you keep on glancing here. I, I just wonder if there’s something wrong..” he calmly says, his eyes drifting from me then back to the garden.

He noticed! 

I don’t know how to react. My face turning into a slight blush, like a just ripened tomato.

I feel embarrassed. I put my palms on my reddened cheeks to make myself relax, though apparently it isn’t working.

“Nothing. I-I just..umm..haha..” the only words I manage to say for I nervously can’t think of anything.

Palms still cupped on my face, Kiyohiro suddenly looks surprised as he observes me.. Ughh..now I am weirding him out. Just great. This is not the kind of impression I want him to have of me.. Get it together, MC! Please!

As I fluster and think of this, I am caught off guard by Kiyohiro. My body stiffens, eyes locked to his dark purple eyes as he suddenly reaches out to me and brush his fingertips at my cheeks.

“…..”

“…..”

Time seems to have stopped at this very moment, like everything seems to move slowly as his fingertips touches me, his eyes languidly observing me. The nervousness and embarrassment have gone but only to be replaced by something worse– the loud hammering of my heart. I feel as if my chest is about to burst, my heart like it is about to get ripped by some odd strong feelings..yet it excites me at the same time.

After a brief careful observation that seems like an eternity to me already, he removes his fingertips from me.. And with that same old, side-glance expression he always put on whenever he’s thinking, he speaks to me– a hint of concern present on his voice.

“…are you..perhaps, sick miss? You look kind of red and hot right now.” he says

My eyes widen just hearing the word ‘hot’ from his lips. Though I know that he only meant that my skin feels a bit unusually warm, I can’t help but blush more from it. The hands that is cupping my hot cheeks, unconsciously find their way pressing my chest. I can feel on my palms the abnormal beating of my heart.

Kiyohiro on the other hand, suddenly stands up in front of me, towering me with his beautiful presence.

“I think it is very late already miss, let me take you to your chamber.” He says, offering a hand for me to hold which I nervously grasp as I try to stand up too. I feel happy at this moment, being able to hold his hand even though it meant nothing that much to him.

But soon that I have to remove my clasp on his, I feel my mood sinking a little bit. I wish to hold his hand longer. Instead I grasp the side of my kimono as I am on my feet now, trying to resist the urge to hold him more.

“Is this the direction to your room?” Kiyohiro asks. I just nod hiding all at the same time the blush and disappointment still evident on my face.

***

Side by side, we walk. I wish I could say something to break the silence around us. But honestly, I don’t mind the quietness that much now for I feel happy enough that we are together, walking like this. I think this is maybe the longest time that I am together with him. I glance at him, at his profile. Even here in these dark hallways only illuminated by the moonlight, his features shines. I ponder to myself again, what I really did like about him. Other than the fact that he is handsome and polite, I remember the words that Master Hanzo usually tells about Kiyohiro. I agree that he’s too flat, being inexpressive, quiet and all… to the point of being dull, and yes, uninteresting.. But perhaps these little things about him… maybe these have become the sole reasons why I am so captivated by him now. Like a spell bound to capture me.

As we walk in the hallways, my desires bit by bit grows. I hope now that something more happens, something that will make us become closer…But, as I look at him, walking like this beside me, I just let myself enjoy the moment and be happy and content with this. At least, even just a little, there’s a slight development between us..well, I do hope so.

We arrive in my chamber after some time. The moonlight casts our shadows in the hallway, almost touching each other. We just stand there for a moment before Kiyohiro finally speaks.

“…Thank you.” He says, glancing a side-look again.

“Hmm? For what?” I ask.

He looks at me again, with his deep purple eyes that seems to soften as he speaks. Somehow, I don’t know if it’s just me but it feels like he’s slightly embarrassed. “For the meal earlier. I really didn’t mean to bother you with that, miss.”

“Oh..that! It’s okay. You didn’t bother me or anything.” I assure him as I unconsciously flash a bright smile to him.

Still looking at each other, I notice his soft expression suddenly changes into a determined one. His nice brows turn in a very little slight furrow as he says, “I’ll make sure to be on time, miss. I won’t be late like that again next time.” He says in a serious kind of low tone that I can somehow feel his resolved exuding from his words.

I can’t help but stifle a giggle. The way he’s so serious about it. About promising me that he won’t be late next time for lunch is very….him. Very, Kiyohiro. I don’t know if it is just me but he always takes everything in a serious approach that sometimes I do wonder if he knows how to joke or at least differentiate or identify one.

Still…

Ahh.. He’s so adorable.

I stare at him until my eyes feels a bit satisfied. Bumping with him today, being with him even in just a short time…even though we really didn’t talk that much about anything nor discover something more about him…I still feel so blessed. The fact that my heart is beating hard right now, making me so nervous that he might catch it, just shows and makes me fully aware as well that I like this dull man so much, enough to turn my emotions into a whirlwind.

“Thank you, Kiyohiro.” I blurted out in a whisper.

“Hmm…miss?” he says, confused.

I turn my back at him as I open the sliding door for myself, the pale light of the moon spilling into my dim, gloomy chamber. When I entered, I turn around and peek at him from the sliding door that I am still holding.

“Goodnight.” I say, briefly looking at him in the eye. I still want for us to stay longer like this but I know that it can’t be…and I doubt it as if Kiyohiro feels the same about it. I am not sure myself but maybe he thinks of it, of us being together right now nothing special but more than just a happenstance. But still, I wouldn’t feel mad about it even if he did.

He is still looking at me with that same cannot-be-read expression that he always has. Surprisingly, he says the same thing to me as well, “…you too, miss. Goodnight.”

I look at him again and just smile at him. Then, as I am about to close my door, I almost missed that little faint smile on his lips that he managed to bring out from himself. That fleeting smile of his makes me pause from closing the door. I stand there in a bit of surprise and fascination. Kiyohiro must be surprised too of my sudden reaction because I can see his eyes widen slightly as he looks at me in a way like he’s wondering what happened or why I stopped.

“…miss?” he says in a faint voice.

Though faint, his voice brought me back to reality in an instant. I shake my head a bit and just closed the door right away without even replying to Kiyohiro’s concern.

Doors closed, yet I am not moving from my very spot, and neither him. I can hear my heart loudly beating like crazy. In front of me, I can see Kiyohiro’s calm silhouette on the wooden frame of the sliding door just standing there. I can’t help but feel a bit cheated for I am the only one here, in turmoil.

“…”

Then, something happened to me… as he is about to walk away from my chamber. Like a bewitched maiden enchanted by the moon, I suddenly slide the door open with a slight bang. Kiyohiro stops and his purple eyes looks at me, startled. Without a moment’s hesitation, I’m grabbing his kimono by my both hands and pulling him towards me enough for me to reach him. Standing on tiptoes, I slightly lean towards him and put a peck of a kiss on his right cheek and soon I pull away myself from him.

“Goodnight..!” I say in a hurry as I bow. I can feel myself reddening as it has dawned to me the preposterous act I just did. After that bow, I turn away from him, closing the door behind me as fast as I can. Hurriedly, I throw myself at a corner of my room. I’m slumping myself against the wall, my body sliding down to the tatami floor, palms on my face. Excitement and regret filling my head.

Seven hells..! I must be crazy!!? Why..!!? What in the world..?!

My thoughts in a total clutter as I ask myself over and over why I did such a thing…only to realize later that perhaps that moment because of the moon and everything–making the moment seem romantic– that I did such foolishness… or perhaps I just wanted to test him, see his heart turn into a frenzy like mine as well.Tho I am not sure if it did work on him.

***

Meanwhile… (in the garden)

Out in the garden, lit by the beautiful, soft light of the night moon, there is Haku, the familiar of Master Hattori– pale as the moonlight, almost imperceptible– he is crawling, just came back from a mission assigned to him by its master.

As she continues to crawl in the garden, there she sees Kiyohiro. Though usually, Haku wouldn’t even be bothered by it because it’s just Kiyohiro– the fact though that he happens to see him outside, late at this hour (aside when he has a mission) is something a little bit, tiny new for him.

Haku stops in his tracks. For some reason, the usual tedious and too quiet boy caught his tiny attention. If it wasn’t for he being a familiar, way more intelligent and very perceptible of his surroundings than other regular snakes, he would have probably missed it.

“Hm? What happened. Is he sick..? He looks like someone has slapped him hard on the face. Should I tell this to Masanari? …Oh well, I shouldn’t bother. He would just make fun of the boy.. And probably he would even bother me with it… Better keep on moving. I badly want to rest now.” the white snake sighs as he continues crawling again, leaving the quiet Kiyohiro alone in his own little world.

Meanwhile…(Kiyohiro sitting in the veranda)

Cheeks, red as a beet– Kiyohiro is sitting in the veranda where MC and him sat just a little while ago. He’s staring into space. And though quiet he may look, for the first time he’s not thinking straight at all. His feelings in a raw jumble of confusion and excitement that he can’t seem to understand. But one thing he is sure of, he can feel the heat on his cheeks grows as it gets deeper red. Especially, his right cheek where MC planted a brief and sudden kiss that caught him completely off guard. He isn’t expecting anything like that. He never, even once, expected or perhaps it never ever occurred to him that something like that could happen to him. The usual inexpressive and collected ninja of the Tokugawa clan is now feeling flustered for the very first time in a long time.

He touches his right cheek– the heat is still there– as he recounts himself of what really happened earlier. His heart, for the first time, too, is in complete disarray. Beating fast like it never did before. Everything feels so new and unfamiliar…yet for some unknown reason he likes it as well. These feelings that overwhelms him right now makes him excited and he can’t really quite figure out why. He stands from his sitting– his right hand still touching his right cheek– as he stares at the dimly lit garden before him. His thoughts again, in a repetition of the earlier events that happened between him and MC. He’s feeling guilty and blushing hard in the dark as he unconsciously relishes himself of the images earlier of MC kissing him on the cheek, softly and suddenly.


End file.
